InfoPath Dev

I want to give automatic reference numbers for my forms. These reference numbers must be unique. This is like invoice ref. no or dispatch note ref. no. I save my form to a sharepoint library. In fact it likes want what MS SQL server do for auto ID.

By default sharepoint has an ID field for each form that gets created, but you cannot insert this ID into the form for the first time.

If you want there are other ways to create unique id's.
1. If you are using c# code you can use "Guid" as a reference, but this is a string which contains both characters and numbers.
2. If you are using JScript you can use system time as the reference, in this you need to use upto milliseconds, so that collision is very minimal.

Agni
InfoPath Dev India

I am using JScript and I try to make system time as reference but the reference number changes when someone opens it for editing. If c# can solve my problem how can I use it.

Hi agian,
You can use date time to generate a pseudo-unique ID for forms.

Patrick Halstead [InfoPath MVP]
InfoPathDev

thanks
I solve it by taking the ID field of the sharepoint.

That works too. Cool!

Patrick Halstead [InfoPath MVP]
InfoPathDev

Oguz,

Could you explain how you did this ???

By advance,
Thanks !!

Hi Herve,
I described this in the other post that you replied to. Let me know if it's not clear. Thanks!

Patrick Halstead [InfoPath MVP]
InfoPathDev

Hi,

What if I want to take ID field (autonumber) from database access?

Anyone, please help....

 

Are you submitting to Access? You can have a autonumber field but you will not see the number until after you have submitted once.

 You can create a table which is a list of numbers but the challenge is, if you have multiple form users, that you do not get duplicates.

Hi clay.

 

Thanks for the respond.

I would like to be able to display that unique ID on my form, before it is saved in my access database.

The logic :

Users activate the the form.

On load :

         Get the uniqe ID number from a database table

          mark that  specific ID as Used ID (so  other wont use it)

         Put that ID into the form

User then fill out the form

hit submit button and the record is updated

 any help wuld be appreciated.

 

 

         

 

This would require a dual submit.

Open the form and immediately submit to get the next ID num and mark it taken.

Then the user completes the record and submits the final data at the end.

Some of the issues you will have is data validation, submitting an incomplete record initially.

Also, without using web services, it has to be the same table so the number has to be an autoincrement on your main table.

hi Clay.

Thanks.

But the first submit will move the record pointer to the next one. Am I Right?

How do I refer the pointer back to the last one.

What I am trying to do is to get a unique id  from a table and put it to my form and after the users fill out the form, the unique ID along with other fields will be saved in the same record pointer.

I have 5 users filling out form at the same time.

 

No it would not advance the record on submit. you can control this in your form. What ever record you reference in your form will be what is submitted against.

To do it right though, and what you describe, you would need to use web services. The default database connectivity has quite a few limitations, where as web services do not. In this case, query and submit to two seperate tables.

If you would like to see an example of a couple forms that do this, send me an email and I could show you.

Thanks for the reply clay.

I see what you mean.

On load form,

    retrieve ID from  first table, put it in the buffer field, then increment the value of the first table by one.

   users then  fill out form to second table (main data source)

submit.

 

the problem is , I dont have the web service available. Trying to find help using this forum is somehow a lot easier than to contact the it department .

I was wondering if you know how to change value of the secondary data source.

or

passing parameter between form

 thanks